Portable holder for flower baskets or containers



April 22, 1952 A V -r 2,594,187

PORTABLE HOLDER FOR FLOWER BASKETS OR CONTAINERS Filed D80. 16, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l HE E IN V EN TOR.

April 22, 1952 A. B. LEVITT 2,594,187

PORTABLE HOLDER FOR FLOWER BASKETS OR CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 16, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 w I J. b I A M y n Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE HOLDER FOR FLOWER BASKETS OR CONTAINERS 2 Claims. I

The purpose of the present invention has been to devise a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive type of holder for use by florists primarily in transporting a basket of flowers from the place of business of the florist to the point of delivery, as to homes, funeral parlors, or the like.

It is well known that the handling of flowers previously arranged artistically in baskets, to convey the arranged flowers to the point of delivery, in a manner to prevent the tipping over of the flowers or spilling of the contents of the basket, presents some difficulty. To meet the problem above presented, the present invention contemplates the employment of a suitable flat base member which carries certain novel clamping instrumentalities adapted to be interengaged with the basket which usually contains a water receptacle, the clamping instrumentalities being designed to cooperate with the basket in such a way that the shape of the latter will not be disturbed, and by the use of the invention there will be no likelihood of tipping over of the basket in transit.

The novel clamping instrumeritalities referred to, more specifically speaking, comprise a series of adjustable posts adapted to be rigidly mounted upon the base member and adapted to be moved radially toward each other and apart so as to accommodate for the clamping engagement of clamping members mounted upon the posts, with baskets of different sizes, the entire holder structure being such that it is very stable when placed upon the floor of a delivery truck or elsewhere, to accomplish the purposes above outlined.

A full understanding of the present invention, in the preferred embodiment thereof, will be had upon reference to the following detailed description, and to the accompanying drawings, and in the latter;

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a holder embodying the essential features of the present invention, illustrating a conventional type of flower basket mounted upon theholder and retained in place by the clamping means associated with the base of the holder.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through a portion of the base and bringing out more clearly the attachment means between one of the vertical posts and the guide associated therewith and by which the said post is susceptible of being adjusted in a direction radially of the center of the base member.

Figure 3 is a view of the holder alone. somewhat enlarged to bring out the detailed features thereof.

Figure 4 is a. sectional view taken about on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, the base being broken away.

Referring now to the drawings and specifically describing the special features of construction comprising this invention, it is notable that there is provided a base member I which may consist of a relatively large, flat plate, which plate is shown of rectangular form, generally speaking, but which form is not one to which the invention is limited since a circular base may be utilized if desired.

On the base I are mounted a series of channel guides generally designated at A and each extending in a radial direction from the center ofthe base. Each of the guides A comprises a channel structure made up of angle plates 2 and 3, each angle plate including a base portion welded or fastened in any suitable permanent manner to the base I, a vertical portion 4, and a horizontal top flange 5. The angle plates 2 and 3 are mounted upon the base I in spaced relation so that the top flanges 5 of the said plates are spaced apart to provide a .slideway longitudinally of the plates. The inner ends of the members 2 and 3 of each guide unit A terminate short of the center of the base plate I, as readily to be seen by reference to Figure 3 of the drawing. Likewise, the outer ends of the plates 2 and 3 terminate short of the corner portions or edge areas of the base plate I.

The guides A are preferably four in number, by reason of the rectangular formation of the base plate I, but if said plate I is made of circular or similar construction it is obvious that a lesser or greater number of guide members A may be provided though the same general arrangement thereof will be utilized in that the guide members A will extend radially from the center portion of the base I.

The special clamping means which are em-- ployed in conjunction with the guide members A will now be described.

The said clamping means includes, in respect to each of the guide members A, a vertical post 6, the lower end of which is provided with a screw thread I on which screw thread a nut 8 may be screwed, after previously emplacing on the post 6 a'wing nut 9 and a washer ID. With the parts just referred to assembled on the post 6 and the nut 8 adjusted so that it is proximate the lower extremity of the post with the wing nut 9 screwed upwardly on the threaded portion I to a position somewhat spaced from the nut 8, the nut 8 may be introduced into the guide A from either the inner or outer end thereof, while carried by the post 6, and the washer II] will be disposed so as to rest upon the flanges of the angle plates 2 and 3 of the guide member A for holding the post 6 relatively rigidly vertically as it extends upwardly from the guide A. The clamp nut 9 may be screwed downwardly on the post 6 until it engages the upper surface of the washer ID and in this manner the flanges 5 of the angle plates 2 and 3 may be clamped firmly between the nut 8 and part Ill, whereby to maintain the post 6 in a stationary position and relativelyrigid in relation to the associated guide member A.

Carried by each of the posts 6 is a clamping member II which comprises a downwardly in'- clined arm at theupper outer end of which is carried an integral sleeve I2 which snugly fits about the post 6 and enables the movement of the arm II vertically upon said post 5. The sleeve I2 carries a clamping screw IS by which it may be fixed at different positions vertically-of the post 6. and in this manner difierent vertical adjustments of the clamping arm H may besecured. At its inner end the clamping arm ii is bifurcated, as shown at id, to provide spaced projeo'tion's that really supply a jaw formation tor a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

The foregoing sets'forth the detailed structure of the holder of the present invention and the manner of its use may now be described. :As seen in Figure 1 of the drawings, a flower basket is mounted in position on the holder and is, [generally-speaking, disposed centrally oi the base I so that the :base of the basket rests upon thesevera] flanges 5 of the angle plates of the guide members .A. When the basket is so disposed the first step in clamping the same upon the base .I is .to adjust the various clamping arms 12 in a vertical direction downwardly until the jaw portion or bifurcation Id of each of .the members ;I l engages the :lower end portion of the basket as seen in Figure .1. When so engaged, the various arms II are clamped in their engaged adjustment by means of the clamp screws i3. The posts I5 will, of coursehave been previously moved along the guides A so as tospermit the interengagement of the jaw portions I I of the:members II, and during this operation the wing screws 9 on the posts .6 will be relatively loose.

After the clamping members Ii have been engaged with the lower end of the basketin the manner generally seen in Figure l, the posts 5 will all be moved radially outward so as to-cause the outer projections I5 011 each of the several arms I I to engage the inner side of the baseportion of the basket and exert slight outward tension thereon. This done, the post 6 is fixed .in its :adjusted position by screwing down the Wing nut 9, this operation being performed asto all of the posts, in regular order, so that the posts are interengaged with the base portion of the basketand exert, through theclamping members 01' arms I I, slight outward tension to firmly hold the basket in place as it rests upon the top portions of the guide members A. The tightening adjustments of the various wing nuts 9 of the posts 6 firmly maintain the several clamping arms ll in their engaged relation with respect to the bottom portion of the basket supported on the holder. In .the drawings the basketis ,gen-

, erally designated at B for reference and it :may

be of any conventional kind at present in use,

made in the manner generally illustrated so as to accommodate for the cooperative action of the parts Id of the arms II under actual conditions of service of the holder. I

Obviously, low vases orreceptacles other than baskets, filled with flowers, may be disposed on the guides A and held in the same manner as the basket B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A basket holder comprising a flat base of relatively large area, a series of channel guides rigidlysecured to the base and extending radially from the center of the base, vertical posts each extending upwardly ,from one of the guides, clamping .parts at the lower end of each post to engage the associated guide to hold the post in a rigid vertical position, and a basket engaging clamping arm ofistanding from and slidable ver tically of each post and provided with a basket engaging jaw at its inner end, said channel guides comprising spaced angle plates each having a base portion afiixed to the base, a vertical I portion and a lateral flange extending from the upper edge of the vertical portion, and each post having a nut on its lower end to, engage between the vertical portions of the angle plates of each guide and'below the flanges of said plates, and a clamp nut on each post above the above mentioned nut operable to engage the upper sides of the flanges to rigidly hold the post at a desired adjustment along the guide, constituting the clamping parts.

2. A basket holder comprising a fiat base of relatively large area, a series of channel guides rigidly secured to the'base and extending radially from the center of the base, vertical posts each extending upwardly from one of the guides, clamping parts at the lower end of each post to engage the associated guide to hold the post in a rigid vertical position, and a basket engaging clamping arm oifstanding from and slidable ver tically of each post and provided with a basket engaging law at its inner end, said channel guides comprising spaced angle plates each'having a base portion afixed to the base, a vertical portion and a lateral flange extending from the upper edge of the vertical portion, and each post having anut on its lower end to engage between the vertical portions of the angle plates of each guide and below the flanges of said plates, and a clamp nut on each post above the above mentioned nut operable toengage the upper sides of the flanges to rigidly hold the post at a desired adjustment along the guide, the clamping arm having a sleeve slidable vertically of the post on which thearm is mounted, a-clamp-screwon said sleeve engaging said post, and the jaw of each clamping arm facing downwardly, the two nuts aforesaid forming the clamping parts of each post.

.AL'ITON B. BEVITT.

REFERENCES JCIT ED The following references are of record in :the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 399,024 Engel Mar. 5, 1889 1,828,249 Hammond Oct. 20,1931 2,112,155 Haney et a1. 'Mar.'22., 1938 2,250,361 Cullinan -1.-- July .22, 1941 

